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Always Looking Toward the Next Step

  I Was Always Looking Toward the Next Step I had to start working when I was 12 years old because my family was struggling financially. My first job was as a helper in a small garment factory that made jackets. I earned only 90,000 won a month. I didn't have the protection of a stable family, and I never had the opportunity to finish elementary school properly. At that age, I believed there was only one way for me to survive. I had to learn a skill. So I arrived at work two hours earlier than everyone else every day. I wanted to learn sewing as quickly as possible. A helper earned 90,000 won a month, but an assistant sewing operator could earn 150,000 won. That difference meant everything to me. Most people spent two years as a helper before becoming an assistant operator. I did it in less than a year. That was when I learned an important lesson. People notice hard work. And when people start talking about your effort and ability, opportunities come much faster than you expect. Af...
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The Cat Who Shared My Life in Vietnam

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  Vietnam and My Cat When I first came to Vietnam, I lived in an apartment complex called Vinhomes. It was a comfortable apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen. The rent was about 700,000 Korean won per month. Built along the river, it offered beautiful views during the day and stunning city lights at night. The complex also had excellent facilities, making it a wonderful place to live. But no matter how nice a home is, living alone can sometimes feel lonely. To fill that empty space in my life, I adopted a three-month-old Turkish Angora kitten. She was pure white, and I paid about 3.5 million VND for her. Before that, I had never owned a cat. As it turned out, there was much more to taking care of a cat than I expected. There was cat food, special treats, toys, litter, and even a cat tower. Every evening after work, I would come home and spend time playing with her. Little by little, we became attached to each other. For me, she was much more than a pet. Living ...
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When Design and Specs Don't Match

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  Why Following the Spec Is Not Always the Right Answer Many people assume that pattern makers should simply follow the tech pack and create the pattern exactly according to the specifications provided by the buyer. However, in reality, successful product development requires much more than that. When buyers in New York develop a new collection, they first define the target customer age group, then select the design concept, fabric, trims, and overall product direction. Based on this information, they create a tech pack and request prototype samples from vendors. A typical season may contain over 100 styles. Because of the large number of styles being developed, buyers cannot always create a completely customized specification for every single design. As a result, it is very common for previous specifications from similar styles to be reused and attached to a new design. This is where problems often begin. Sometimes the design and the specifications do not match each other. The exa...
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Finding Happiness in an Unexpected Corner of Hai Phong

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  A Weekend Walk in Hai Phong, Vietnam It has been about four years since I came to Vietnam. Currently, I work at our Ho Chi Minh branch office, where I manage the pattern team and oversee three sample rooms. I also work closely with the TD team, supporting everything from sample development to production. Last week, I received an SOS call from one of the sample rooms I manage in Hai Phong. A high-difficulty brand suddenly sent a large number of styles, and the team needed immediate support. I traveled to Hai Phong to help organize the workflow, improve the process, redistribute the workload among team members, review patterns, and strengthen quality control in the sample room. It was a very busy week. During business trips, I usually stay in the company dormitory. Today, however, was my day off. About 45 minutes from the factory by Grab, there is a busy area called Van Cao. Normally, I would have a meal, buy a few necessities, and return to the dormitory. But today, I wanted to do...
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Small Pattern Mistakes Create Big Problems

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A Good Pattern Maker Sees Problems Before They Happen

  Experience Sees Problems Before They Appear Today, I lead a pattern team of twelve people. I started my career in sewing, became a pattern maker, and later managed sample rooms. Because of that journey, I often see potential problems before a garment is even made. When I review a style, I don't only look at measurements and specifications. I think about how the garment will behave once it is sewn, fitted, and worn. Over the years, I have learned the body characteristics of different buyers' fit models and the key fit points that each brand values most. When a specification or design detail moves away from those key points, I can often predict fitting and balance issues before the first sample is made. By addressing those risks early, we can eliminate an entire round of corrections and save valuable development time. Unfortunately, many pattern makers today rely only on buyer specifications. They create patterns, wait for fitting problems to appear, and then make corrections a...
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Most Production Problems Begin Before Production

  Most Production Problems Begin Before Production Many people believe that production problems start on the sewing floor. They blame operators, sewing quality, or factory management. Sometimes that is true. However, after more than 40 years in the garment industry, I have learned that most production problems do not begin in production. The real problems often start during development. Unstable patterns, insufficient testing, construction methods that are difficult to sew consistently, and poor communication between departments. These issues may not be visible during sample development, but they almost always appear once production begins. Production does not create most problems. It simply reveals them. That is why I believe the key to successful apparel manufacturing is not fixing problems faster, but preventing them before they happen. In my experience, prevention is always less expensive than correction. The companies that survive in the future will not be those that produce t...
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